sustaiNYC

Says NRDC:

The New York City Council passed legislation today to tackle the sewage overflowproblem in the City’s overburdened sewer system. The legislation advances the implementation of green design elements, which mimic nature’s own filtering systems, into the City’s existing streets, parks, and other public spaces and into existing and new development projects.

By adopting ‘green infrastructure’ solutions, such as green roofs, permeable pavement, wetland restoration, and smarter design of street tree plantings, stormwater can be captured where it falls and used to green the city, instead of overwhelming sewers and flushing raw sewage directly into City waterways. The legislation, City Council Intro No. 630, ensures that New York City will follow through with the initiatives outlined in Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030, by requiring the development of a city-wide Sustainable Stormwater Management Plan focusing on such measures. The mayor is expected to sign it into law.

Official NRDC press release here.

SwimmableNYC has a nice collection of facts and resources about storm water management.

And the full text of Intro630 on the City Council’s site.

Photo of Combine Sewage Overflow (CSO) in Stuyvesant Cove Park from SustainableFlatbush.org.